Iran joins Shanghai Cooperation Organization

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, hosted by India, Iran became the ninth member of the organization. Iran, which has the status of an observer country, has been accepted as a full member.

In order to balance the economic superiority of Western countries in the world and to create a new center of attraction, Iran became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which was established in 2001 under the leadership of Russia and China.

ONLINE SUMMIT

According to the initial plans, the summit, which was planned to be held in New Delhi, the capital of India, with the live participation of the leaders of the member states, changed its format at the last moment and turned it into a video conference. In the amendment, it is said that the sensitive situation of Russian President Vladimir Putin due to the Ukraine war is taken into account.

PUTIN ALSO ATTENDED

Russian leader Vladimir Putin's participation in the SCO summit in the form of a video conference left its mark on the session. It was the first time Putin has appeared at an international event since the June 24 uprising of the mercenary Wagner army in Russia. Stating that a Western-centered hybrid war is being waged against Russia and that his country will overcome it, Putin underlined that the Russian people stand against the uprising and pointed out that 80 percent of the national currencies are used in the increasing trade with China.

NUMBER OF MEMBERS HAS BEEN 9

Following Putin's speech, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially declared that Iran was accepted into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Emphasizing the historical step with Iran's membership in the organization, it was said, "Iran's membership will give a positive momentum to the Shanghai organization." In the joint statement, it was also stated that the efforts to accept the Republic of Belarus, Russia's number one ally among the former Soviet republics, into the organization through an accelerated process were initiated. With Iran joining the SCO, the number of member states increased to nine. These are China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

TURKEY, DIALOGUE PARTNER IN SCO

Turkey has had observer status in Shanghai Cooperation Organization since June 2012 under the definition of “dialogue partner”. Russia and China, to the question of whether Turkey will become a full member one day, had taken the approach that “In order for a country to join the SCO, it must not take part in other military alliances in particular”.